Not All Heroes Wear Capes
by GGkid
Summary: After the events of Endgame, Peter finds himself babysitting Morgan Stark for the weekend and learns that everyone has their own way of coping through grief. *ENDGAME SPOILERS*


Title: **Not All Heroes Wear Capes**

* * *

The call came in near the end of his match.

Peter glanced over to where he thought his phone was as it buzzed somewhere on his bed, and heard MJ let out a 'whoop!' as her character crossed the finish line in first place. A frustrated groan echoed into Peter's headphone.

"That's not fair! You totally cheated," Ned grumbled.

A loud snort rang in. "Not my fault you can't drift properly," MJ taunted in a haughty tone. "Chose a better character to race with then."

"Yoshi _is_ a great character!" Ned retorted back and two friends began to bicker about which Nintendo character was the best racer into the headphone.

Wincing at the sudden increase in noise, Peter slowly edged his headphone away from his ears. He cracked his fingers, sore from constantly holding onto the Switch, and rubbed the bags underneath his eyes. He then squinted at the alarm clock placed to the side of his television.

9:45 pm.

_We've been playing Mario Kart for 3 hours? _Peter thought with a grimace.

It was something MJ had suggested they do as the three of them tried to readjust to a world moved forward five years into the future after the snap. Coming back to existence wasn't easy; he still had nightmares of turning into ash and the tingly sensation of impending doom never did quite leave him. It felt like a blink of an eye though; one minute he was gone and the next he was back and everyone he knew aged five years older (it sadden him to know he had missed Aunt May's birthdays).

He hated to admit it, but he was glad Ned and MJ were also snapped as well. He didn't know if he could handle seeing his best friend grow up without him and Ned seemed to share the sentiment as they shared a long tight hug when they finally saw each other back at school.

MJ was back to her usual snarky self, but she lingered more with him and Ned; trading barbs that didn't quite sting so much and giving shockingly good advice whenever she wanted to (and sometimes unneeded).

Somehow, Peter's tiny circle expanded from just him and Ned to him, Ned, MJ, and even a few others like _Flash Thompson_ of all people. It was crazy, if someone had told him that he would be buddies with Flash a few months ago he would have thought they were mad. Very very mad.

_Still feels like a dream though,_ Peter thought with a sigh. He wished it was one though, then at least Mr. Stark would be—

His phone buzzed again, and Peter jumped at the noise. _Crap!_ He reached over to his bed, blindly rummaging through his bedsheet before finally procuring the phone with a triumphant cry. One look at the caller contact and his expression fell into mute horror.

"Dude, is everything alright?" Ned's voice came in through the headphone.

"Yeah, sounded like you were orgasm or something," MJ asked with a laugh.

Peter felt his cheeks turn red as Ned yelped out 'gross MJ!'. He shook his head to get rid of any unwanted thoughts as he placed his headphones back properly onto his head.

"Hey, uhm, guy," Peter said as his eyes flickered back to his phone that was buzzing again for the third time, _Happy is __**so**__ going to kill me_. "Can we like take a ten-minute break? I gotta, uhm…help Aunt May with something!"

"Sure," came MJ's short response while Ned gave a noncommittal grunt.

Peter wrenched the headphones away from his head and tossed them aside, just before he could dial Happy back, two dings ring on his laptop and he glanced over to find Ned had private messaged him over on their Discord sever.

**Ned (Leggomylego) 9:51: Is everything really alright, dude?**

**Ned (Leggomylego) 9:51: Is it Spidey stuff?**

Peter grinned a bit; he could always trust on his best friend to know when he needed help and he starts typing up a few short messages.

**Peter (IronSpidey) 9:52 : I don't know! **

**Peter (IronSpidey) 9:52: Happy is calling me and I'm like freaking out!**

He paused; it wasn't always a bad thing when Happy called. It was just that he _only_ called when it involved Spiderman business or Mr. Stark needed help.

And well… he hadn't seen or heard from Happy since the funeral.

A few more dings came in indicating several new messages but as Peter typed up another response, his phone buzzed again. He sighed, knowing that the more he prolonged this the angrier Happy would get. For a guy named Happy, he sure didn't seem like it.

Peter gulped and resigned his fate, sending one last quick message to Ned before pressing the call button.

A deep voice drift into the mic, "Kid—"

"I'm so sorry, Happy," Peter blurted out first, because damn it he was going to apologize for not picking up.

A pause. "For what, Kid?"

"For…" and Peter blinks, slowly realizing what he had just said. The last he had talked to Happy was during Mr. Stark's funeral and it was a simple 'I miss him, Happy,' to which Happy gave him one long look, nodded his head as his hand clamped gently onto Peter's shoulder and then said, 'I miss him too, Kid.'

And afterwards, Peter spent the rest of the service surrounded by the Avengers who updated him and several others about how the world tried to move on without them for five years. _Five years_, and the world was still coping with the sudden change. He couldn't help but reflect on all the things he had missed, and it made Peter's heart clench painfully tight at all the things he didn't even get to experience.

Like Mr. Stark getting married and having a child.

Peter swallowed heavily. "I—I mean…"

A deep sigh wrinkled in from the phone, and Peter could imagine Happy pinching his nose in quiet frustration. Peter had only known the portly man for around a year, but he had gotten quite acquainted to the man's mannerism and speech patterns.

"Look, Kid," Happy began in a tone that made Peter press his phone more into his ear, "I'm only going to say this once, so listen closely." Peter nodded, having a feeling that keeping quiet is the best option.

Happy continued, voice low and steady in Peter's ears, "Kid, you gotta know life is unpredictable. The sooner you learn to not apologize for the things you can't control, the better your life will be."

The advice felt like a hard pill inside Peter's mouth and he forced himself to swallow it dry. He…he really needed to hear that. Even though the truth hurt, even though he won't see Mr. Sta—Peter's eyes began to blur, and he blinked rapidly to stop the tears from spilling out. Inhaling through his nose, Peter managed to choke out a, "I know," into his phone.

Heavy silence greeted him back, and Peter briefly wondered if his line had got cut off, when Happy finally answered him back. "Kid, it's always going to hurt. And I know you miss him, I do too, but you gotta move on. That's what Tony would have wanted."

The name brings back fond memories of a time when life was simple, when all Peter had to worry about was not messing up Mr. Stark's laboratory and getting to know more about his Spider suit. When the Homecoming dance was his biggest obstacle in his path, not a mad titan bent on wiping out half the universe's population. A time that whenever he felt scared, or unsure of himself, Peter knew Mr. Stark was just a phone call away.

_It feels so long ago …_

His cheeks felt wet now, and Peter drew his hand up to his face to find himself crying. He inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath and wiped his cheeks with a sleeve. Nodding to himself, determination began to slowly seep into his body. Happy was right, he had to move on. Just like the world, he needed to be strong to face the next big thing that might threaten everyone's existences. Because there will always be someone who would want to destroy the world, and its Peter's and the Avengers' job to stop it from ever happening. Because he has too, no one else was be able to do the things he can do.

Peter closed his eyes, remembering something Mr. Stark had told him once a long time ago.

"_Mr. Stark, what do you when you're not sure if you're cut out for this?" Peter asked out of the blue._

_They were inside Mr. Stark's lab eating Shawarma after spending hours tinkering with the designs of a new Spider suit and Peter's face and hands were covered in oil stains and questionable chemicals from their work. Peter nervously watched Mr. Stark's face as he chewed on a piece of meat. _

_Mr. Stark raised an eyebrow at him, leaning all the way back onto his chair. The man knitted his hands together on his lap. "Why the question, Pete?" he asked, and Peter shrugged. _

"_I don't know." He rubbed at one of his dirty sleeves, grimacing a bit as oil stained his fingers. "I just sometimes feel like I'm not meant for this role, that maybe somebody else should be Spider Man, and…" He trailed off, closing his eyes at the negative thoughts that swarmed inside his head. _

"_Pete." Peter opened his eyes to find Mr. Stark had moved his chair close to him. Warm brown eyes stared straight into him, and Peter ducked his head downwards, wiggling underneath the intense gaze. A heavy sigh followed his reaction, and a firm hand placed itself on top his shoulder. _

"_Look, Peter Parker," and Peter's head snapped up at his full name. "A long time ago, I felt just like you did. I lost my home, I lost my armors, everything that I called mine…it was gone in a flash." Mr. Stark's eyes took on a faraway look and a frown had etched its way onto his lips. "It hurt at the time, thought I was done for, but I took a long look in the mirror and realized something." His frown slowly twisted into a faint grin. "Everything might have been token away from me, but there's one thing people can't take no matter how hard they tried."_

_Peter swallowed heavily, enthralled by the story and Mr. Stark tapped at his chest; right where the arc reactor sat, humming a low buzz. "Me." He said firmly. "They couldn't take me away, because, Peter—" _

_He met Mr. Stark's eyes, and the man's grin grew even brighter. _

"_Because, I'm Iron Man."_

Peter opened his eyes.

_I'm Spiderman_.

He cleared his throat. "Thanks, Happy," Peter said softly, and the other man grunted. "So, is there something that you need me to do? Any Spidey business?" He started shifting from one foot onto another, excitement creeping inside his body at the thought of going off into another adventure to prove his worth.

Something akin to the sound of papers being riffled came through the mic. "Actually," Happy began slowly and Peter's heart thumped against his chest. "What's your schedule like for this Friday and weekend?"

Peter blinked, humming to himself. He wasn't expecting that question and wondered if the Avengers needed him for a short time mission somewhere in the country. Maybe California? Or Hawaii? Peter's eyes brightened at the thought. _Maybe I could convince them to bring Ned along…_

"Kid?"

Peter jumped at the name. "Oh, right! Sorry, about that." He crossed his arms a bit, balancing the phone on his ear as he pace around his room. "So, I think I have a Spanish quiz on Friday, and some homework due the next week, but I think that's it. Are the Avengers going on a secret space mission? Or maybe there's a villain we need to catch or is it—"

"Kid, please stop talking, you're giving me a headache" Peter paused in his rambling, taking the moment to catch his breathe. He could hear multiple dings going off and Peter glanced over to find several messages awaiting, for him on his laptop. He winced slightly; _MJ is so going to kill me_. He hoped his friends don't mind waiting some more.

More shuffling of papers came out from the mic. "It's nothing like that, Kid," Happy finally replied back after a moment had passed. "Pepper—," and Peter's eager grin twist into a frown, "is going away for a weekend conference somewhere in Seattle and she needs somebody to watch Morgan."

Peter's frown deepened more at the other name.

Morgan.

Peter only met the little girl once at Mr. Stark's funeral and it was a very awkward and saddening experience to have. The little girl really had no idea that her father had just died, and when Peter had introduce himself, she clung onto his legs and told him that 'Daddy always talks about you in his stories! Do you really have eight legs?' to which Peter nervously laughed and nodded his head.

The girl, Morgan, gave him a bright grin and then told him that he should join her tonight for bedtime stories 'cuz' then you and Daddy can read to me!' Everyone's facial expressions at her words shattered Peter's heart into a million pieces and he couldn't bear to tell her that her daddy, that Mr. Stark, won't be able to read her anymore bedtime stories.

Tony blinked away the memories. "Why me?" he questioned, his voice cracking slightly. Happy doesn't respond.

"Why me?" Peter repeated ,and he began pace more into his room. "I'm not good at taking care of kids, let alone myself! I'm sure Ms. Stark has a bunch of people who can do a much better job than I can. Like Dr. Banner! Or Captain Marvel!" Peter's pacing began to match with his rambling, "Anybody would be so much better! And I don't think Mr. Star—"

"Peter."

Peter froze, his foot halfway up into another step. His heart was beating way too fast for his liking and he placed a hand onto his chest to calm himself. He took large gulped, and he realized something; Happy had just called Peter.

He _never_ called him Peter unless it was extremely important.

Silence engulfed through the phone line and the only thing Peter could hear was the sound of his own breath coming out in ragged puffs.

"Just take deep breathes, Kid." Happy eventually said, and Peter closed his eyes and followed his instruction. Soon his heart rate pulsed at a normal pace and the ringing in his ears had gone away.

"You good, Kid?" Peter nodded, swallowing again.

"Yeah, I am, Happy."

"Good." A beat. "Look it wasn't my idea—" And Peter opened his mouth, "And it wasn't Pepper's idea either."

Peter snapped his mouth shut and blinked. _So then who?_

Another beat, this one longer than previous one, and Peter shifts anxiously between his feet. "It was Morgan's, Kid. She asked for you."

Peter's mouth drop at the sudden news. "_Morgan"_, he whispered, and imagined the smiling little girl with long messy brown hair and warm brown eyes just like Mr. Stark's_. She asked for me?_

"She did, Kid." And Peter realized he had spoken the last part out loud. "Said she wanted to see her big Spidey brother. So it was my job to give you a call and see if you're available."

Ah.

Peter swallowed, his chest heavy with guilt and sadness. "Sure," he cleared his throat harshly. "Sure, I'll do it. I'll…babysit Morgan for the weekend."

"Glad, to hear that Kid."

* * *

After talking to Happy for a couple of minutes about his plan and items he should pack with him for the trip, Peter finally ended the call. He shakily walked up over to his bed and collapsed onto it with a heavy sigh.

He rubbed the edge of his palms onto his eyes, feeling more exhausted than he ever did before. This was going to be quite an Endeavor, that he knew for sure.

He threw his arms to his side in frustration and something hard and plasticky hit one of his hands. He shifted his head to glance at what it was: his headphone.

_Oh right, we were playing Mario Kart…_

Grimacing at the thought of MJ going off on him for leaving them alone for nearly an hour, Peter sighed once more before grabbing onto the headphone and placing it onto his head. Reaching for the mute button on his laptop, his ears caught the last part of a conversation MJ and Ned were discussing about. Somehow, they were talking about Animal Crossing out of all things.

He stayed silent for a moment, listening to his two friends speak (more like bicker). Honestly, he was incredibly lucky to have such great friends and he needed them now more ever.

He cut in during MJ's rant about how 'Tom Nook is a shady fucker' with a faint, "Hey guys…"

Immediately, Ned makes a happy gasp. "Peter! You back, Bud!"

MJ's snort came into the headphone. "Told you he was masturbating."

Peter shook his head, too tired to even flush at MJ's words. "No, MJ," he said, before Ned could scold her. "Something pretty big came up."

The two were silent at his words, and eventually Ned's voice came in, low and quiet.

"What can we do to help?"

Peter could feel tears well up inside his eyes and blinked rapidly. He sniffled.

"You guys are the best."

* * *

**Thank you guys for reading! I saw endgame and just had to write this cute story, so I hope you'll enjoy it!**

**Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you guys think!**


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